Needle protector

ABSTRACT

A needle protector and guard for sewing machines arranged to receive the needle at the bottom of its stroke. The protector includes a generally U-shaped member designed to receive the needle between the upstanding arms thereof, while permitting the loopers of the machine to move thereover for proper looping and holding of the thread.

United States Patent 11 1 11] 3,872,810 Johnson Mar. 25, 1975 [54]NEEDLE PROTECTOR 387,966 1319M Dahl it idl. ll2/227 X 1, 57,376 [1913 Dl [75] Inventor: M Rosemoum 1,433,872 10/1922 112/227 inn.

[73] Assignee: Lees Manufacturing Company, Primary E.\-aminer-Richard J.Scanlan, Jr

Cannon Falls, Minn. Att0rney,'Agenr, or Firm-James R. Cwayna [22] Filed:Oct. 10, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 404,852 ABSTRACT A needle protector andguard for sewing machines ar- 7 ranged to receive the needle at thebottom of its Stroke The protector includes a generany ushaped [58]Fie'ld 197 199 member designed to receive the needle between theupstanding arms thereof, while permitting the loopers of the machine tomove thereover for proper looping [56] g ;T; ;Z and holding of thethread.

445,122 l/l89l Muther 112 227 5 Claims 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEUH3.872.810

FIG.9 FIGJO NEEDLE PROTECTOR The use of needle guards for sewingmachines in not necessarily totally new in the art. Most of theseguards, however, do not totally protect the needle but rather arearranged on only one side thereof and this does not give the totalprotection that is required for the needle.

Applicant is acquainted with the commercial and industrial aspect ofsewing materials and it is particularly in this field that suchprotection devices are of their greatest importance as the shut down ofa machine due to needle breakage is very costly.

With applicants concept, a protector or guard device is provided toreceive the needle while allowing its normal rearward and forwardshuttling motion and while permitting the normal operation of theloopers of the machine.

It is therefore an object of applicants invention to provide a needleprotector or guard device to receive a needle of a sewing machinetherein at the lower extremity of its stroke.

It is a further object of applicants invention to provide a needleprotector or guard device that will receive a needle therein but willpermit the normal move ment of the needle.

It is still a further object of applicants invention to provide a needleprotector or guard device designed and arranged to permit the nomaloperation of the loopers of the machine.

It is still a further object of applicants invention to provide a needleguard for a sewing machine that due to its particular configuration willact as a guiding device for directing the needle into the protectivearea.

These and other objects and advantages of applicants invention will morefully appear from thefollowing description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which: I

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a typical sewing machine uponwhich the invention embodying the concepts of applicants invention maybe utilized:

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along Line 2-2 of FIG.1 showing the positioning of the protector device in conjunction withvarious other elements of the machine,

FIG. 3 is a view "similar to that of FIG. 2 and illustrating the variouselements of the machine in a different position;

FIG. 4 is. a perspective view of the protective device;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the protector and needle of the machine,the needle being in an approaching position;

FIG. 6 is a view ing the needle in its downmost position;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section taken substantially along Line 7 -7 ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation taken from FIG; 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation taken from FIG. 8; and,

similar :6 that of FIG. 5 and illustrat-- likewise underlies the trimmerhook H. Theconcept of I applicants guard 10 is toreceive'the needle Nrelatively close to and at the downstroke thereof. During the strokingof the needle, the thread loopers are operative and will move over andacross the top of the guide. The operation of the loopers is to stripand hold the thread for the next downstroke of the needle and thereforethese loopers must operate relatively close to the needle itself.

The normal operation of the needle is to move forwardly and backwardlyon alternative strokes and therefore the guard must allow for thismovement.

The guard 10 is illustrated in perspective form in FIG. 4. Asillustrated therein, the guard 10 includes a mounting arm 11 having agenerally downwardly directed connecting section 12, having a threadedpassage 12a theret hrough for connection to the needle receiving portion13 by a threaded fastener 14. The mounting arm 11 is horizontally offsetas at 15 to accomodate mounting of the same to the .machine. A mountingslot 16 is provided in the rearward portion of the arm 11.

The needle receiving portion 13, includes a pair of upstanding armelements 17, 18 and the connecting section 12 is received internallythereof and, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spacing between theconnecting section 12 and the upstanding arm element 17 will permit theneedle N to be receivied therebetween. The curvature of the connectingportion 12 is also .designed to direct the needle. N int-o the receivingarea, should the same accidentally strike the same on the downstrokethereof.

It should be noted that the width of the connecting portion and the armelements 17, 18 is such as to permit the normal oscillating movement ofthe needle N.

The particular shape of the guard or protector is particularlyillustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 9 and 10. As illustrated therein, the firstupstanding section 18 is substantially rectangular in shape and. extendsdownwardly to a generally normal connecting portion 20, which portion 20is of sufficient length to receive the needle therein by providingproper spacing between the arms 17, 18.

The upstanding arm 17 is of a particular configuration which willparticularly guide the needle N into the receiving area. A firstinwardly and downwardly di' rected guide surface 21 is provided at theuppermost extremity of the arm 17 and extends from, the exterior to theinterior surface thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 10, this surface isgenerated from a decreased interior surface 22 of the arm 17, whichdecreased surface is provided by a pair of oppositely disposed upwardlyand inwardly extending surfaces 23, 24extending between the forward orinner surface of arm 17 to the exterior surface thereofiThis entiresurface formation then basically provides a generally pyramidal,configuration with certain sides thereof being generally vertical whileadjacent sides thereof, although being generally angular will begenerated from a generally curvilinear surface. The entire concept ofconfiguration is to provide a guiding, protective configuration for theneedle and the shape of the particular surfaces will accomplish thisdesire.

mounted below the throat plate T of the machine and The particularposition and operation of the guard or protector 10 is illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6. As illustrated therein, the needle will be received intothe unit at the extremity of its downstroke and the loopers, as

illustrated in FIG. Zand 3 will be in position to operate thereover andthereabove.

With applicant's guard, the needle is protected at the extremity of thedownstroke while still permitting the needle to move in its requireddirections to perform the sewing operation. The guard provided byapplicant then provides a unique, protective device which is designed todirect the needle into the protective area while still permitting thevarious machine elements to function in their normal manner.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sewing machine provided with a needle, a pair of loopingmechanisms, which looping mechanisms have loopers arranged on oppositesides of the needle and which are alternatively actuated to receive thethread loop from the needle, a needle protective device including:

a. a first mounting arm;

b. said mounting arm having means for attaching the same to the machine;

c. a needle receiving area provided on said mounting arm in position toreceive the needle therein during at least a portion of its upward anddownward stroke, said area being defined by a downwardly directedportion of said mounting arm and a laterally spaced, upwardly extendingarm, said upd. said protective device being positioned relative to theloopers to permit the loopers to pass upwardly and across said receivingarea.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 and said receiving areaincluding said first laterally spaced, upwardly extending arm and asecond upwardly extending arm, said second upwardly extending arm beingattachable to said downwardly directed portion of said mounting arm.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 2 and said second arm beingspaced from said first arm a dimension to permit said downwardlydirected portion of said mounting arm to be received therebetween.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 and said downwardly directedportion of said mounting arm being smoothly contoured at the upperportion thereof to direct the needle into said receiving area should theneedle contact the same on its downward stroke.

5. The structure set forth in claim 1 and said receiving area being openat the ends thereof.

l l l

1. In a sewing machine provided with a needle, a pair of loopingmechanisms, which looping mechanisms have loopers arranged on oppositesides of the needle and which are alternatively actuated to receive thethread loop from the needle, a needle protective device including: a. afirst mounting arm; b. said mounting arm having means for attaching thesame to the machine; c. a needle receiving area provided on saidmounting arm in position to receive the needle therein during at least aportion of its upward and downward stroke, said area being defined by adownwardly directed portion of said mounting arm and a laterally spaced,upwardly extending arm, said upwardly extending arm having a pluralityof angularly arranged surfaces on the upper portion thereof to normallydirect the needle into said receiving area; and, d. said protectivedevice being positioned relative to the loopers to permit the loopers topass upwardly and across said receiving area.
 2. The structure as setforth in claim 1 and said receiving area including said first laterallyspaced, upwardly extending arm and a second upwardly extending arm, saidsecond upwardly extending arm being attachable to said downwardlydirected portion of said mounting arm.
 3. The structure as set forth inclaim 2 and said second arm being spaced from said first arm a dimensionto permit said downwardly directed portion of said mounting arm to bereceived therebetween.
 4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 and saiddownwardly directed portion of said mounting arm being smoothlycontoured at the upper portion thereof to direct the needle into saidreceiving area should the needle contact the same on its downwardstroke.
 5. The structure set forth in claim 1 and said receiving areabeing open at the ends thereof.